I know my Ford has the original engine

VeryTangled

VeryTangled

Well-known member
In eleven years reading the posts here I've heard it too many times. Um, yeah.

Thanks to https://myflatheadford.com/flathead-v8s-back-in-the-day/

1940s-Ford-Tractor-Trailer.jpg
 
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That picture is a great reality check. Given that Ford didn't mark engines for "numbers matching" it really doesn't matter if the engine is the one bolted in at the factory, just that it does all the things the owner wants (original type, later type, smoothness, lumpy idle, other contradictory requirements).
 
My original engine is long gone. Maybe its in someone elses truck or car. The block I got with the truck had "REMAN" and numbers stamped on the side of the block. I did still have the numbers matching intermeadiate bell/ starter housing.
This truck picture is awesome. Is that a 48 truck? Sorry I am not up on all the features to tell the difference?
It also makes me think of another project: Lets call it another money pit. A 1956 Ford F800 BIG JOB. Cab and chassis. Do I need another truck, NO! Do I need a bigger truck? No! Just really have wanted this year Ford truck for some crazy reason. I have no need for one. Just a bigger toy.
Thanks for posting this great picture. Sounds like good customer servive! Try getting a new engine in a day now!
Regards,
Chris
 
I remember in high school my uncle had an old truck similar to the one in the photo above. He was an ag teacher and had access to the school shop and wasn't always doing stuff to that old truck. I didn't understand his passion for it then. I later learned it was the First road tractor of Lowes Hardware. I know it's in the Charlotte area and I don't know what brand of truck it is. Sometimes you just have to scratch that itch and get what you're hankering for.

sugarmaker said:
My original engine is long gone. Maybe its in someone elses truck or car. The block I got with the truck had "REMAN" and numbers stamped on the side of the block. I did still have the numbers matching intermeadiate bell/ starter housing.
This truck picture is awesome. Is that a 48 truck? Sorry I am not up on all the features to tell the difference?
It also makes me think of another project: Lets call it another money pit. A 1956 Ford F800 BIG JOB. Cab and chassis. Do I need another truck, NO! Do I need a bigger truck? No! Just really have wanted this year Ford truck for some crazy reason. I have no need for one. Just a bigger toy.
Thanks for posting this great picture. Sounds like good customer servive! Try getting a new engine in a day now!
Regards,
Chris
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I find all of the hype regarding 'Matching Numbers' in vehicles to be quite interesting, especially when applied to vehicles manufactured prior to 1949, that being the point in time when the Federal Government required the manufactures to be more detailed in their vehicle serial numbers, ie; actual vehicle identification numbers in lieu of sequential production numbers.
In the so called good ole days, rebuilt/over hauled engines were as common as dirt, every large department and/or parts store sold replacement engines with generous payment plans.
It could be that Henry Ford figured the transmission/ power-train and chassis would last longer than the engine, that being why Ford did not put a serial number on the engine.
 
blucar said:
It could be that Henry Ford figured the transmission/ power-train and chassis would last longer than the engine, that being why Ford did not put a serial number on the engine.
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I remember reading a Dave Cole article in the V8 Times years ago about exactly that. Ford switched from engine numbers stamped on the block to frame and transmission stamps in 1932, at the same time Ford brought out the engine exchange program. Apparently Ford was the innovator in that field, and all the other vendors were copying (you could buy a rebuilt engine from SEARS for a while for gods sake...).
 
This tag I found at a swap meet here in France a few weeks ago might be from the engine exchange program .
 

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Rebuilt/remanufactured engines were readily available here from many suppliers. My uncle had a rebuilt installed in the 39 Ford around 1950. It still has the tag firmly affixed to the block "rebuilt by Ford of Canada". The big mail order catalogues also offered a full line of rebuilts. This 1948 Macleods catalogue I have lists various engines rebuilt minus the heads. The early Ford V8 was listed at $170 outright or $50 less if you had an exchange block.
 

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Folks,
My B engine (reman) came from Montgomery Wards in greenville, PA. I have the shipping crate from a rebuild er in NJ.
Regards,
Chris
 
Both my cars, a 35 and a 36, have replacement 37-38 pump-in-block capable engines and I'm just fine with it. The one in the 36 has a rebuilder tag.

I've often imagined the slick move back in the days was to bring it to the dealer at 8am and pick it up at 4:30 with a fresh bullet under the hood. Seeing that photo of the hauler brought back those thoughts.
 
Jeff,
I think that was probably done a lot! Heck my grandson can change a much more modern engine in about 2 days.
When you get a 80 year old unit good chance it's have a transplant
I like that transport truck!
Regards,
Chris
 
A well maintained engine in the '30's, '40's could be expected to last for 40k miles. I almost bought a one owner '36 5 win in 1951 that had 31,k on the odometer, the car was garaged during it's whole life sitting in a heated parking garage. The father of a friend of mine had maintained the car since it was new for the local Ford Dealer. Mr Merrell talked me out of buying the car because it was on it's third engine, the result of low usage.

The '36 that I still own had 51.k on the odometer when I bought it in September 1952. it ran very well, however when the weather got cold in January the car did not want to start, poor compression. I had a valve job done, $35.00. I pulled the engine in April of '53, with 100,K showing on the odometer. I installed a well built 49AB engine, sold the original engine to a friend for his '36 Ford sedan work car. The engine ran for another six years before my friend junked the car.
The moral to my story; in the good ole days engines did not last like they do now.
 
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